When You Believe
by arielx
Summary: A day after the war of the wizarding world, Hermione walks through the Hogwarts hospital wing and looks apon the bodies of the three boys she loves. Implied HermioneDraco


**When you Believe**

Hermione looked around the moon-lit hospital wing and held back a fresh wave of tears.  She stared at the first bed, whose occupant looked so peaceful and different without his glasses.  His hair had its characteristic messiness, but the look of peace upon Harry's face was something Hermione only remembered as a vague memory.

Her eyes drifted to the neighboring bed.  She used to think Ron was the love of her life, but it was actually the war that showed her that he wasn't made for her, or she for him.  He was pale under his freckles, the usual rosy tint his cheeks usually held when he cracked a joke or tried to get out of his homework had faded into a shallow ashy color, just that alone frightened Hermione to death.

And the last bed in the room.  The bed closest to the window drew Hermione to it like a moth to candlelight.  The moon cast a silvery glow on the blonde boy, illuminating him so that Hermione wondered why it didn't awake him.  Draco Malfoy had always been a pale boy, and now as a man, sick and weakened by war, it was no different.  Hermione stepped closer to his bed.  He was truly a beautiful boy, beautiful and elegant in every way.  Hermione noticed the shadows his eyelashes threw over his face, his pale, almost blue lips slightly apart, his hair was as fine as silk and it was in his face.  But not messy, never messy.  He had a small scar below his left eye from a long-ago occurrence.  Hermione wanted to think it was simply a minor flying accident, something that took place on a cheerful summer day during one of their breaks, but Hermione never tried to delude herself, if it happened to Draco, it was probably much, much, worse.

_Many nights we prayed   
with no proof anyone could hear   
in our hearts a hope for a song   
we barely understood_

It was amazing what the last year had brought, and it all came down to the night before, when Voldemort was finally completely destroyed.  

Ron and Draco were arguing, as usual.  Ron never liked Draco, always said that a Slytherin was never to be trusted.  Hermione always pointed out that he was dating Blaise, but Ron never commented back, and that usually ended the argument.  

Hermione was still unsure about how Draco became to be a friend of the trio, but slowly it happened.  She was the first to actually talk to him, she told him she pitied him, that no one deserved to be as cruel and unfeeling as he was, and then Draco did something she neither expected nor knew how to handle- Draco cried.

It was as if the floodgates to Hell broke open and stream filled Hermione's vision.  All she saw was this beautiful boy in front of her, someone she couldn't bring herself to hate, but couldn't ever see trusting, and he broke down right in front of her.

Hermione shook her head and cleared away the memory.  That was nearly two years ago, and she had the present and future to worry about.

She didn't understand how she got out of it.  Out of the battle.  It all ended so anticlimax that it made Hermione want to rip out her hair and scream.  After years of turmoil, years of living in fear and pain, it all ended with Harry saying two small words.  It was all so frightening, trying to get to Voldemort, trying to get through the hundreds of deatheaters, or at least it seemed like hundreds, just to get to Voldemort, where he was completely alone, save for Lucius Malfoy and Peter Pettigrew.

Draco and Ron made no hesitation to take out the two extras.  Ron immediately killed his old pet with the killing curse, but Draco had no room in his heart for mercy towards his father.  Draco let Lucius die through the crutacious curse, and as Harry and Voldemort battled, Hermione dementedly heard the screams of the elder Malfoy as a background setting, something that was there to add atmosphere, not a man dying.  She had heard and seen too much to care anymore.

_Now we are not afraid   
although we know there's much to fear   
we were moving mountains   
long before we knew we could_

And so that was all.  An anticlimax if Hermione ever knew one and the world rested, including Harry, Draco, and Ron.

Hermione didn't understand why they were hurt.  Madam Pomfrey said it was a magical surge, something that left Voldemorts body and was absorbed into the boys.  Kind of like the law of energy, only magical.  You cannot kill magic, and it never disappears, it just changes shape and transfers itself, Dumbledore said that if they wake up, they would be three of the most powerful beings in the world, but Hermione didn't hear that, her senses stopped working at the word _if._

_There can be miracles   
When you believe   
Though hope is frail   
Its hard to kill   
Who knows what miracles   
You can achieve   
When you believe somehow you will   
You will when you believe_

She crouched down beside Draco's bed and laid her head on the starched bed sheets.  She felt the cold shadow of the night close in around her, but stayed still in the moons rays.  She lifted her head and spoke towards the stars and heavens, and said a small prayer.

"I know in this world, no one believes in you," She said to an unnamed person, she still stared towards heaven.  "But I wasn't always a part of this world, and sometimes I don't even know why I was chosen to be, but here I am, and I need help.  Please give strength to them, please help them get better," Hermione choked back a sob. "Please, please God, I don't understand anything anymore, why did you let me keep my strength while theirs dies away?"

"Maybe because it's up to you to share your strength," Said a weak voice from the bed.

_In this time of fear   
When prayer so often proves in vain   
Hope seems like the summer bird   
Too swiftly flown away   
Yet now I'm standing here   
My hearts so full, I cant explain   
Seeking faith and speaking words   
I never thought I'd say_

It took all the control Hermione possessed to keep from crushing Draco in a hug, but she kept her calm well, and instead, kissed him directly on the mouth.

"Wow," Draco said with a dazed look and a small smile. "Let me go back to sleep and I'll wake up again."

"Draco!" Hermione whispered through free-flowing tears. "You're alive! You're conscious, Oh lord, how do you feel?"

"Like I was hugged by an overly excited hippogriff."

Hermione kissed him again just for good measure, not even caring that she had never kissed this man before in her entire life. 

"Oh God, I'm so glad you're alive!"  Hermione whispered again. 

"Why are you whispering?" Draco asked in a normal tone.

Hermione bit her lip and looked over at the bed beside Draco, where a sleeping Ron was visible.  Draco sucked in a sharp breath.

"Harry too?"  He asked.

Hermione nodded and said, "You three have been out since last night, don't you remember what happened?"

"I killed my father," Draco said in an emotionless voice.  "Ron killed Pettigrew and-"He stopped short. "Potter did it.  Harry killed the dark lord.  After that, it was all black, like the world exploded."

Hermione nodded slightly.  "Dumbledore said that Voldemorts magic erupted so hard that it blew right into the three of you, you all sucked in Voldemorts magical energy.  I don't understand why I wasn't hurt either."

Draco tenitivly put his hand over Hermione's.  "Maybe you've been hurt enough."  He said.  "Maybe now your job is making sure we make it."

"You are going to make it!"  Hermione said indigently.  "If you die I swear I'll kill you."

Draco chuckled deep in his chest and winced in pain.  "I'll be sure to remember that," he said.

"What's this about you killing Malfoy?"  A voice broke in, and Hermione nearly shrieked with joy.

"Ron!"  She said in a half-whisper.  "Ron oh Ron!"

"I believe we remember his name," Draco joked.  "But thanks for taking the time anyway."

  "Are you okay Hermione?"  Ron asked immediately.  "Are you hurt?"

Hermione gave her friend a weak smile. "I'm perfectly fine Ron; it's you three who got hit the worst."

"Oh." Was all Ron managed to get out, and he looked to his left at the still sleeping Harry.  "Is Harry going to be alright?"

Hermione paused for a moment, and then said, "I don't honestly know," She said truthfully.  "But Draco woke up, then you, so I hope Harry-Harry!"

That moment Harry opened his brilliant green eyes and gazed around the room, still lying on his back.

"Where am I?"  He asked finally.

"Oh leave it to Potter to say the most cliché thing in the book," Draco cracked, but he looked overjoyed to see Harry alive and breathing, just as Ron and Hermione where.

_There can be miracles   
When you believe   
Though hope is frail   
Its hard to kill   
Who knows what miracles   
You can achieve   
When you believe somehow you will   
You will when you believe_

A week later Ron, Harry, and Draco walked out of the hospital wing, all in one piece, and all with light hearts.  Hermione was waiting in the corridor for them and hugged them all in turn.  

Hermione hugged Draco last, and hugged him a little longer.  She broke away from the blonde boy and smiled up at him.  Draco smiled back and kissed her forehead, then her lips.

Harry and Ron looked at each other, first in shock, and then smiled.  They wondered when those two would finally wise up to themselves.

_They don't always happen when you ask   
And its easy to give in to your fears   
But when you're blinded by your pain   
Can't see the way, get through the rain   
A small but still, resilient voice   
Says hope is very near, oh _

_There can be miracles   
When you believe   
Though hope is frail   
Its hard to kill   
Who knows what miracles   
You can achieve   
When you believe somehow you will   
Somehow you will   
You will when you believe _

**(A/N) ** Nice little one-shot huh? I thought so too J


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